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Hendersons - Barristers' Chambers

Public Access

The barristers at Henderson Chambers offer expertise in a wide range of practice areas and are instructed by a wide range of clients. These include: solicitors, commercial organisations, other professionals and individuals direct.

The Public and Licensed Access schemes allow lay clients to instruct barristers directly without first instructing a solicitor or other lawyer. Barristers are self-employed individuals who specialise in advocacy, strategic advice and the drafting of legal documents. In the past it was necessary for clients to use a solicitor or other third party in order to instruct a barrister.

Scope of Work

The schemes do not fundamentally change the role of a barrister, but there are limits on what they can do for you. Our barristers will need to be satisfied that you can undertake certain tasks yourself, albeit with our guidance. In certain cases and situations we may also feel that it is in your best interests to instruct a solicitor to assist, and we will be happy to recommend suitable options. There are some services that barristers (or their clerk) are not permitted to undertake, including: issuing or serving proceedings and filing documents with a Court or Tribunal.

Enquiry Form

Before a barrister can decide whether or not they are able to assist you, we will need some information from you which you can provide by completing our online enquiry form. Please ensure you complete all sections as fully as you can.  Our clerks will reply within 3 working days.

If your enquiry relates to an employment tribunal related matter please see our  Public Access Employment Fees document.

Funding

We accept Public Access instructions on a privately funded basis only, and our policy is to take payment in advance of any work being undertaken.

Please be aware that we cannot obtain Legal Aid, public funding or act under a Conditional Fee Arrangement on your behalf.

Whilst many of our barristers provide pro bono assistance (work undertaken voluntarily without payment), they do so only via Advocate (formerly the Bar Pro Bono Unit). To check if you are eligible for their services, please contact them directly. We are unable to make an enquiry on your behalf.

Fees

Quotations will be provided if sufficient information has been provided on the enquiry form. There is no charge for providing a quotation. The cost of instructing a barrister at Henderson Chambers will depend on the complexity of the case, the seniority of counsel, the amount of work involved, the volume of papers, and the urgency of the work. The quotes will either be on an hourly rate or fixed fee basis, subject to what is most appropriate for the case and is most cost effective for the client. Please note that all fees are subject to VAT where applicable.

The clerks will explain the implications of instructing a barrister privately, and will endeavour to provide realistic estimates as to the cost and time of any work required. They will also provide you with information about the likely key stages and timescales involved.

Circumstances where there may be additional costs (for example when the scope of work has expanded from the initial enquiry, and the associated costs for that work) will be clearly communicated and explained to you by the clerks. No further work will be undertaken without prior authority from the client and until we are in receipt of cleared funds. This means that the client will not be charged for work that has not already been agreed for one of our barristers to carry out.

Further Information

If you need more information about Public Access, Full details of the Bar Council’s Public Access scheme can be found on their website:
http://www.barcouncil.org.uk/using-a-barrister/public-access/

Complaints

Full details of Henderson Chambers’ complaints process can be found here, along with a link to the decision data page on the Legal Ombudsman website.

Regulatory

Barristers at Henderson Chambers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board. The Barristers’ Register is an online database which displays details of all barristers who are authorised to practise in England and Wales and who have a current practising certificate. The register will display the dates for which a barrister’s practising certificate is valid. It includes information about barristers’ practising status, their practising address, the reserved legal activities they are authorised to undertake and whether they have been the subject of any disciplinary findings which are published on its website.

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